New Strides in Fitness

In and around Rye, we have spinning, yoga, Pilates, personal training, and more, but now there’s a brand new fitness workout, GoStride, which debuted in the Kohl’s Shopping Center this past winter.

By Georgetta L. Morque

In and around Rye, we have spinning, yoga, Pilates, personal training, and more, but now there’s a brand new fitness workout, GoStride, which debuted in the Kohl’s Shopping Center this past winter. The GoStride studio offers total body cardio classes on a strider, which is an elliptical-like machine with elements of a spin bike and combines the benefits of hiking, running, rowing, and riding.

Located near A.I. Friedman and the Dress Barn, the studio is the first of its kind in North America. The founders are Jenny Klein and Jill Weiss of Greenwich and Janet DeFrino of Rowayton, longtime friends and business partners who led successful careers on Wall Street. As avid exercise enthusiasts, they visualized creating a fitness business together.

When Janet discovered the strider, made by Keiser, the same company that manufacturers spin bikes, the threesome realized its potential as a great low impact, high intensity workout unlike any other. The strider has a gear to adjust resistance and a monitor to provide information on one’s workout in real time. “It’s a full-body workout that’s safe for everyone,” said Jill.

The studio has 42 striders. Classes, designed by a fitness consultant, consist of 40 minutes of cardio on the machines, followed by seven minutes of strength training with free weights or bands and then a three-minute stretch. The instructors have backgrounds in personal training, spinning and other fitness programs.

Workouts can burn up to 800 calories and most participants leave the class drenched, the founders have observed. After working out consistently on the strider, one instructor lost an inch around her waist and Jill’s husband, a runner, was able to shave significant time off his mile. Good posture and engaging the core are important elements of striding, noted Janet. Increased strength and flexibility are other benefits. “It’s also a great escape and fun,” said Jenny. The classes use upbeat music, and the lighting is dim.

The new facility has lockers and men’s and women’s showers with amenities. The reception area, which has an urban modern look, doubles as a trendy event space, and GoStride has already hosted a couple of successful fundraisers. There’s also a one-stop shopping service. GoStride will email your shopping list to Whole Foods. After class, all you have to do is go to the store to pay and pick up your groceries. The Whole Foods personal shopping fee is waived.

A single class at GoStride is $30. There are also student rates and packages. Visit www.gostride.com.